Pop rock band, Paramore returns with “The News,” their second single off their forthcoming This Is Why album (releasing February 10, 2023). Here below are my first reactions to the song/official music video.
“The News” by Paramore
0:04 👀😮 – Starting with quite the visual as lead singer, Hayley Williams is lying on the floor singing with her eyes missing their pupils.
0:15 📺 – This must be the band’s commentary on the state of the world and the media’s strong tendency to showcase bad news on TV and social media.
0:22 😳 – We’ve become glued to our screens. There’s always something grabbing our attention! I find it funny how they’re using tube TVs, an outdated piece of technology for this music video.
0:43 👏👏 – Sonically, this song has a great beat to it. Love the instrumental arrangement a.k.a. the drumming done by Zac Farro and the guitar playing by Taylor York! Props to them for continuing to evolve their sound for the new era. It’s like a hybrid style of old meets new Paramore in my opinion.
1:00 📰 – The news can get addictive to the point where it’s hard to shut it off. Sensationalized headlines, partisan politics, and divisive talking heads fuel ratings for the corporate bigwigs and ultimately mess with the public people’s way of life, mindset, and more!
1:09 🎥 – I like this visual moment as Hayley is duplicated!
1:20 👼👿 This feels like the angel and devil moment on your shoulders as you wrestle with your thoughts as to what’s right and wrong in life.
1:25🐄🔔👍 – Cowbell!
1:50👋 – For those heavily consuming the news, this song may be a wake-up call for you to ease up on your media intake. #getsomefreshair #takeabreak #getanewhobby
2:25 😐 – The bridge section encapsulates all the forms of news these days. From exploitative to informative to performative, or a mixture of some or all, there’s just so much bombarding us on a daily basis! It’s the sad new normal, to be honest with ya!
3:08 💭 – You don’t have to completely shut off the news…just don’t binge it! Know your facts first and do your own due diligence in researching what you don’t understand before you make false assumptions and spread misinformation.
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‘Til next time, stay safe, and happy listening!
Philip's Music Corner 
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